Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, Iraq's oil revenue is projected to be a record $70 billion this year, according to a report set to be released today from the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction. The cost of Iraqi oil has skyrocketed in recent years up 250 percent since 2003. With these soaring oil revenues, the time is now for the Iraqi government to take greater responsibility for the security and reconstruction of their country and begin the process of weaning themselves off the largesse of the United States of America.

Recently, Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, announced that he was cutting $171 million in Pentagon funding for a police station construction in Iraq. This is a good first step towards ensuring that the Iraqi government understands that they need to show a real and sustained commitment to taking control of their country's destiny. By spending some of their record oil revenues, the Iraqis can send a definitive statement that they are serious about investing in their own future.

Madam Speaker, in 2006 the world was alarmed when North Korea tested a nuclear device. Since then, North Korea has been pressured to reveal details about its nuclear program, but it has blatantly defied transparency deadlines and Six-Party talks have yielded few results.

North Korea has recently re-declared its intent to provide a ``complete and correct'' declaration of all its nuclear programs, but while the U.S. awaits this declaration, we shouldn't reduce the necessary pressure required to hold North Korea accountable to its promises.

The U.S. should not ease sanctions on North Korea until we have sufficient verification measures in place. Specifically, North Korea should not be removed from the list of state sponsors of terrorism until it accurately declares the number of nuclear weapons and the amount of fissile material it has. We must continue to insist on full transparency and not acquiesce to deceitful North Korean rhetoric.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor an organization in my district in Leesburg, Florida, that is making a difference for the people of Florida.

Florida's Hometown U.S.A. was formed to instill in Florida's youth the value of volunteer service. Students from across the State are selected each year to participate in the program. Each year five students are selected from elementary school to high school as participants. The volunteers' focus is on helping children and the elderly by providing food, clothes, personal care items, and assistance wherever it is needed.

Each year the organization holds its Florida Hometown U.S.A. pageant, which serves as its main fundraiser. Florida's Hometown U.S.A. program has received recognition for the positive impact and outcome it has achieved in the local communities.

I want to congratulate these fine young volunteers, especially the fine young students who are selected every year, and especially program director Linda Watts, for all she has done over the past 22 years. She has enhanced the community of Leesburg which I represent. Thank you, Linda, for all of your hard work. Keep up your hard work for the program, and God bless you.

Madam Speaker, Whereas, the GW Cancer Institute provides groundbreaking biomedical and clinical research, high quality educational programs, and effective outreach and outstanding patient care to the Washington, DC, area; and

Whereas, the GW Cancer Institute seeks to understand why certain cancers disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, and to eliminate cancer disparities among minority citizens in the District; and

Whereas the GW Cancer Institute's Executive Director Dr. Steven Patierno cochaired the AACR-MICR, American Association for Cancer Research and Minorities in Cancer Research, national conference titled, ``The Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial and Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved''; and

Whereas, the GW Cancer Institute is working to uncover genetic clues that help explain cancer disparities through a grant awarded by the National Cancer Institute's Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities to establish a Genomics of Cancer Disparities Center; and

Whereas the GW Cancer Institute offers an Office of Cancer Prevention and Control, an Office of Cancer Education and Outreach and an Office of Cancer Survivorship;

Whereas, the GW Cancer Institute offers resources to citizens in the form of advocacy, support groups, education, outreach and clinical care;

Whereas, the GW Cancer Institute leads the Community-by-Community Cancer Control Campaign aimed at decreasing the cancer burden of Washington, DC;

Whereas, nearly 40 area churches participate in the GWCI's congregational cancer wellness initiative;

Whereas, the GWCI served as a founding member and leader of the DC Cancer Consortium;

Whereas the GW Cancer Institute's Dr. Paul Levine cochairs the Early Detection Subcommittee of the DC Cancer Consortium and Dr. Donald Henson serves as cochair of the DC Cancer Consortium;

Whereas the GW Cancer Institute, together with the GW Medical Faculty Associates, operates the GW Mammovan which offers digital mammography to more than 2,500 women per year;

Whereas, the GW Cancer Institute partners with local Washington DC based sports teams including the Washington Redskins and Washington Nationals, offering free prostate cancer screenings;

Whereas, the GW Cancer Institute works with local, Washington DC media partners, reaching thousands with messages about the importance of getting screened for prostate, breast and colorectal cancer.

Whereas, the GW Cancer Institute, working with the GW Medical Faculty Associates, has conducted free prostate cancer screenings for over 2000 men in 18 months, including nearly 700 DC area men at the 15th Annual NBC4 Health and Fitness Expo at the Washington, DC, Convention Center;

Whereas the GW Cancer Institute's Outreach Program works with barbershops in DC's Wards 4, 7 and 8 offering an outreach program in which lay health workers are trained in prostate cancer education and relay information to customers about the importance of early detection;

Whereas, the GW Cancer Institute recognizes leaders in the field every year at the annual GW Cancer Institute Gala;

Whereas, past GW Cancer Institute Gala recipients have included Carolyn R. ``Bo'' Aldige, the American Cancer Society, Lance Armstrong, Ray Michael Bridgewater, Zora Brown, Margaret M. Bush, Sam Donaldson, Andrew C. von Eschenbach, MD, First Lady of the Republic of Panama Vivian Fernandez de Torrijos, Harold P. Freeman, MD, Elmer Huerta, MD, LaSalle D. Leffall Jr., MD, FACS, the Honorable Connie Mack and Mrs. Priscilla Mack, Michael Milken, Nueva Vida, and Ellen Sigal, PhD;

Whereas, the GW Cancer Institute will honor Margaret Foti, MD, PhD, Robert Siegel,

MD and Mrs. Paula Siegel, RN; Sean Swarner, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu on May 3, 2008.

Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the U.S. House of Representatives--

(1) honors and salutes the accomplishments of the GW Cancer Institute and recognizes its important work throughout the Washington, DC area;

(2) recognizes the accomplishments and achievements of the GW Cancer Institute in research and community outreach; and

(3) based upon the Institute's service, extends its appreciation to The George Washington University Cancer Institute in recognition of its Fifth Annual GW Cancer Institute Gala.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 175, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Madam Speaker, according to the Energy Information Agency, the United States imports about 60 percent of its oil today and that number is expected to go up to almost 80 percent in the next 10 years. As a country, we need to reduce our dependency on foreign fuel sources and start implementing alternative energy sources and programs that can be found here in the United States, like coal.

Imported fuel such as crude oil and natural gas are costing the country millions of dollars a year and accounts for about one-third of the United States trade deficit. Imported fuels also account for about 17 percent of an increase in America's energy consumption from 2004 to 2005.

Now liquid coal can be developed for $50 a barrel. Compare that with $107 for oil today. Not only does this innovative fuel cost us less, but also coal is one of the most abundant natural resources in the United States. As Congress continues to explore the use of alternative energy sources, we need to look closely at coal to liquid.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the contributions of High Springs Farmers Market, which is in my congressional district.

It was established in 2001. The market provides local growers with an opportunity to sell their products directly to consumers and to provide area residents with high quality, fresh produce and other farm products at affordable prices.

This market then has encouraged and assisted local residents to grow fresh produce through a community garden program, and it provides training and entrepreneurial opportunities for the new growers. By promoting local Florida products, this market allows traditional farmers to sell in today's competitive market.

In addition, the High Spring Farmers Market is the first and only market in the State of Florida to accept food stamps, providing high- quality, fresh food to those who otherwise could not afford it.

I am grateful for the market's dedication to the entrepreneurial spirit and am proud to have it in my district. Congratulations to them and keep up the great work.

Madam Speaker, like many of my colleagues, I'm a big sports fan. I have had the opportunity to play sports in high school and in an industrial league. I played it in the Boys Club back in 90- pound football. And I think, like most of us, we understand that the vast majority of stars today were a testament to true hard work. They were determined to succeed and often times under difficult situations. Their performances, victories, records and careers seemed to capture the straightforwardness of honesty, hard work and integrity that is based upon the heart of sports today, at least in the past, the ideal that sports allow success based upon merit, whether it be on the court, the field or the track.

Unfortunately, Madam Speaker, the scourge of steroids and performance-enhancing drugs is not simply a footnote in the history of sports in America. Steroid use goes much deeper, to the basic integrity of sports and all of athletics. At the most fundamental level, steroid use is just plain cheating. And furthermore, it is illegal.

Steroids are classified as a Schedule III controlled substance under the Controlled Substance Act. Those caught in illegal possession of steroids without a

prescription face arrest and prosecution. Dealers face a Federal felony charge and up to 5 years in prison.

Furthermore, steroid use involves significant health risks for all athletes who use them. Studies suggest that use of steroids can lead to stunted growth in adolescents, increased risk of heart and liver disease, as well as cancer and hormonal problems for both men and women. And that is why these and other factors demand that our elite athletic organizations, both professional and amateur, establish uniform, world-class drug testing standards that are consistent and robust, just as our criminal laws are today.

However, the most worrisome development is that steroids are not only infiltrating their professional and elite amateur leagues, they are finding their way into middle schools and high school sports programs. In fact, according to the most recent Monitoring for the Future survey, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 3\1/2\ percent of high school seniors have used steroids with similar percentages for grades 8-10.

These are alarming numbers that represent just a part of the susceptible youth population that is out there. These estimates suggest that the high school steroid problem is just as great, if not greater, than it is in the professional leagues.

As any parent knows, high school is a trying time for many kids, let alone student athletes. These exceptional kids now face yet another hazard all the way to adulthood, that is trying to claim the safe haven of sports as its next growth market.

We must take an aggressive stand against this plague before these pressures lead young student athletes to use steroids, its destructive effects on honesty and fair play and ultimately, their very health and well-being.

And here and before the Commerce Trade and Consumer Protection Subcommittee last year, which I chaired in the last Congress, we heard testimony from a parent of a young man who tragically took his own life when that pressure to succeed, coupled with steroids, became too much. Unfortunately, these tragic stories are all too common.

Richard Pound, the founder and chair of the World Anti-Doping Agency says, ``Do we want our children to be forced to become drug addicts in order to be successful in sports? Like it or not, sports stars are heroes and idols to our kids. Our kids copy their heroes' behavior. That's why we have to encourage the stars to be good role models both on and off the field.'' Congress must continue to look into the use of illegal steroid and performance enhancing drug use.

Professional leagues have an obligation to be the gold standard with regard to education, detection and sanctions for the illicit use of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs. The recent scandals in baseball, the Olympics, professional wrestling and in other professional amateur sports have served to highlight the significance of the steroids problem.

Now, sometimes I'm asked back in the district why I care about drugs in sports. Shouldn't the athletes perhaps do whatever they want? They are only hurting themselves, is the reply. The use of steroids and performance-enhancing drugs by athletes today goes beyond just the integrity of the sport. By using illegal drugs, athletes are, in effect, telling our children that the only way to be successful and compete at the highest level is to cheat. That is not the message I want our children to hear.

Mr. Speaker, the bipartisan Protect America Act, a critical anti-terrorist law that closes loopholes in our intelligence laws and protects civil liberties is, once again, about to expire. The House must act today on this critical piece of legislation, which passed the Senate by 68-29. If this Senate bill is not passed in time, our intelligence agencies will be blinded to our enemies' plans and required to consult a lawyer before eavesdropping on foreign terrorists.

Democrats have had more than 6 months to make the Protect America

Act permanent and provide immunity to telecommunications firms that assisted our government and performed their patriotic duty after 9/11. The time for indecision and second-guessing is over. The time to get this important legislation passed into law is today.

House Democrats should pass the Senate bill and get it to the President, again, today.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise also in strong support for H.R. 4169, which would authorize the placement in Arlington National Cemetery of an American Braille tactile flag honoring blind members of the Armed Forces, veterans and other Americans.

My colleagues, our Nation's veterans have fought for our freedom, many at the expense of their health and well-being. Some of our veterans have not just lost use of an arm or a leg as a consequence of service, but now live in darkness from the loss of their sight.

In order to serve the needs of blind Americans, the Kansas Braille Transcription Institute created and designed a tactile American flag in Braille which would enable these blind veterans and other blind Americans the simple ability to see through the use of their hands the beauty of our American flag.

The flag has been specifically designed in a way that informs the blind of the full color of the American flag, 13 stripes and 50 stars on the blue field. Additionally, the tactile flag bears the Pledge of Allegiance in both raised print and grade one Braille. It is a plaque. It is not a traditional flag.

Mr. Speaker, I offer my full support of this great bill, the American Braille Flag Memorial Act. By placing the Braille American flag at Arlington National Cemetery, we do indeed bring honor to our Nation's blind veterans community and allow our blind veterans to see the American flag.

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Tiahrt), the author of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I want to again congratulate my colleague from Kansas for introducing this bill. It clearly shows a special sense of sensitivity to the needs of disabled veterans. I commend my distinguished colleague for doing this and for the support of the institute for their offering this to the government at the Arlington National Cemetery.

Again, it is a lot of hard work by Mr. Tiahrt, and I commend him. I urge my colleagues to support and pass this bill, H.R. 4169.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 790, a bill commemorating the people of the State of Washington for showing their support for the needs of the State of Washington's veterans and encouraging residents of other States to pursue creative ways to show their own support for veterans. This resolution was introduced by my distinguished colleague from Washington (Mr. Baird).

It was particularly inspired by the Veterans Family Fund Certificate of Deposit, an insured account created through the grassroots efforts of citizens in Washington State to benefit military veterans and their families. The Veterans Family Fund Certificate of Deposit was officially launched on November 8, 2007.

When an individual purchases a Veterans Family Fund Certificate of Deposit from a participating financial institution, half of the interest is automatically donated to the State of Washington's Veterans Innovation Program. The Veterans Innovation Program was created to provide emergency assistance to help current or former Washington National Guard or Reserve servicemembers simply cope with financial hardships, unemployment, educational needs, and many other basic family necessities.

The initiative of the citizens of the State of Washington in creating this program is to be commended. Throughout the years, young men and women across this great Nation have answered the call to duty and taken up arms in defense of our freedom and that of others in this world. We should recognize the service of these veterans and encourage others to honor them by simply passing this bill today.

I would like to thank Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer for bringing this resolution so quickly to the floor for consideration today.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume.

I also rise today in support of H. Res. 963, supporting the goals and ideals of National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans Week, and for other purposes. I would like to thank my colleagues Mr. Rodriguez and Mr. Miller of Florida for sponsoring this timely piece of legislation.

The President has designated this week, February 11 through 15, as National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans Week. This week provides the American people the opportunity to thank a special group of men and women, the more than 98,000 veterans of the United States Armed Forces, who are cared for every day by the Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers, outpatient clinics, domicilaries, and nursing homes across this Nation.

Mr. Speaker, this resolution specifically shows the support of the United States House of Representatives for the National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans Program and its efforts to pay tribute to and express appreciation for these hospitalized veterans. The resolution also seeks to increase community awareness of the role of VA medical centers, and to encourage citizens to visit hospitalized veterans and become involved as volunteers. The resolution also encourages citizens who live near a VA hospital or clinic to just take time to visit and thank our veterans personally.

During my visits with veterans at the Gainesville, Florida VA Medical Center and my trip this past year to Ramstein to visit the troops at the hospital, I have also been inspired by the courage and honor that is displayed by these heroes. You will walk away feeling a whole lot better than when you came in, because you're so proud of what they've done.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, this resolution assures our Nation's veterans that we in Congress will continue to work with veterans service organizations to support our veterans with words, actions, and financial assistance.

Again, Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Resolution 963.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, let me conclude and extend my thanks to Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer for not just bringing this resolution to the House floor but also the two previous bills. These reinforce Congress' commitment to serving America's veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Let me thank, first of all, the discerning, clairvoyant, highly observant and eloquent statements from the gentleman from North Carolina for his kindness in recognizing that it is, indeed, my bill. I appreciate his very eloquent statement.

Mr. Whitfield was supposed to be here, but, of course, with the tornadoes, he cannot be here. He flew back to Kentucky to take care of his constituents, so he is to be commended for that.

But I rise today also in support of this bill, which is my bill which came through my subcommittee, the Do-Not-Call Registry Fee Extension Act of 2007. The Senate bill is 781.

As pointed out, this bill is identical to H.R. 2601 which I introduced and which passed this Chamber by voice vote under suspension of the rules on December 11, last year. As the sponsor of the companion legislation to the Senate bill and as the former ranking member of the committee with jurisdiction over consumer protection, I assured all my colleagues that this legislation is necessary and, of course, very timely. The gentleman from North Carolina mentioned that it is one of the most popular bills we have passed in Congress, and indeed it is.

I can also assure each of you that it will have an immediate and meaningful impact on our constituents, much more so than many of the bills that we've passed this year.

The Congress originally passed the Do-Not-Call Act in 2003 in response to the growing concern about the persistent invasion of unsolicited telemarketing calls to consumers' homes. Now, at that point I was chairman of the Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection Subcommittee, and I took great pride that our committee came together with Jan Schakowsky, who was the ranking member, to put together the do-not-call registry. She is to be commended today, too, for her support and her enabling of this legislation.

The idea was very simple: Consumers could place their home phone numbers on a list, and telemarketers would then be prohibited from making unsolicited phone solicitation. In order to avail themselves of the tranquility afforded then by the registry, consumers simply call a toll-free number from the telephone line they wish to register, or they could add their number via the Internet. Telemarketers then access the registry at the Federal Trade Commission to obtain a list of registered numbers over the Internet and then remove their numbers from their call list. Pretty simple. These telemarketers then pay a simple fee for such access. It is those fees that fund the registry, including the maintenance and, ultimately, the enforcement of the violators of this legislation.

The program has been a huge success, as the gentleman from North Carolina has pointed out, with one recent polling finding there is over 150 million active telephone numbers on the registry. My colleagues, that's roughly 70 percent of Americans who avail themselves of the registry benefit. That poll also found over 90 percent of those registered with the do-not-call list do indeed receive fewer unsolicited telemarketing calls.

The Federal Trade Commission must also be commended for its part in making the registry a success. Without vigorous enforcement, a prohibition would be meaningless. Consumers who receive unwanted telemarketing calls log complaints via either a toll-free telephone number or the Internet. As a result, the commission has pursued 35 cases for violations of this do-not-call provision in the bill and has collected $25 million combined in civil penalties and equitable relief.

Unfortunately, the commission's authority to collect the fees necessary to maintain the registry expired last September. This legislation restores the commission's authority to collect the necessary fees to maintain and simply update the registry in a timely manner. Further, this act provides businesses with certainty into the future regarding the fees they pay to access the registry.

So, my colleagues, while this bill sets specific access fees, it also ensures Congress will receive the information necessary to assess in the future whether those fees are simply sufficient and appropriate. The Senate bill requires the Federal Trade Commission and the SEC to submit two reports to Congress biennially. One report shall include information regarding basic registry statistics such as the number of consumers registered, number of persons paying for access, and the impact of new telecommunications technology on the registry. The second report addresses consumer reports of abuse of registry exceptions, including the recent reports of ``lead generators,'' unsolicited mailers, and we've all gotten those unsolicited mailers through the mail, used to establish a business relationship. Then once that business relationship is established, they can come back and call you or otherwise they trick you into answering these little lead generators. And most frequently the people who do answer them are seniors, who are very conscientious, and then that, in fact, involves waiving their do-not-call protections. As time passes and people think of new ways to circumvent these protections, we will want to ensure we have the necessary information to keep pace with these folks that are trying to trick our constituents, thereby protecting their original intent of the do-not-call registry.

In conclusion, Madam Speaker, many of our constituents still express their gratitude for enacting the original Do-Not-Call Act, simply enabling them to make their home hours more peaceful without irritating telemarketing interruptions, especially around suppertime. The popularity and success of the do-not-call registry is without question. It is successful and it is one area in which this Congress has acted in a bipartisan fashion, almost unanimously on the House floor with approval. So I urge all my colleagues' support.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess).

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, my colleagues, last night while attending our President's final State of the Union, I was encouraged to hear him say: Ending the bias in the Tax Code against those who do not get their health insurance through their employer is one reform that would put private coverage within reach for millions, and I call on the Congress to pass this piece of legislation this year.

My colleagues, I'd like to draw your attention to the Health Care Tax Deduction Act of 2007, a bill which I have offered, and one that accomplishes this goal of insuring every American man, woman and child. This bill will allow individuals a tax deduction from gross income for health insurance premiums and unreimbursed prescription drug expenses for themselves and their family.

I urge you to cosponsor this bill and attack this problem with meaningful and responsible legislation. With this legislation, we can end the debate over inefficient government-run health care.

Madam Speaker, I demand that the words of the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich) be taken down.

Reserving the right to object, Madam Speaker, I will accept this time the gentleman's request to withdraw his words, but his clear and egregious violation of House rules needs to be fully understood by himself. Both sides wish to restore civility here with legitimate debate and not utter personal accusations.

With that, Madam Speaker, I withdraw my objection.